Republican Rodney Davis raised about $440,000 in the six weeks since he became his party's new nominee for the open 13th district in Illinois.

Davis, a former top aide to Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), will report just more than $400,000 in cash on hand to kick off his bid, according to a source close to the campaign.

In May, local Republicans picked Davis as their nominee after Rep. Timothy Johnson suddenly dropped his re-election bid after the primary. Davis' large haul boosts GOP confidence that the party can keep this seat.

Democrats previously indicated they would target the newly open seat as a pickup opportunity. But the Democratic nominee, emergency room physician David Gill, won the nomination in an upset over the party's preferred candidate.

Gill's aides did not return an email request seeking comment on the campaign's fundraising numbers. But as of March 30, online records show Gill's campaign had $20,000 in the bank — and the same amount in debt.